Simply Sick
by SoccerChic0
Summary: Olivia wakes up with "just another bug..." Yeah, just a bug that's bugged for over 2 weeks now. By being her headstrong, tough self, she doesn't realize she's putting her own life in danger... EO!


A fit of racking coughs woke Olivia from her sleep… No; she had hardly slept a wink. Sweat poured from her face as she painfully flipped over to face her alarm clock… **5:30**.

_Oh my gosh… I slept like, what, an hour? Well, I can tell I'm not getting any more sleep today... Besides, it's best if I head in early to finish up my paperwork…_

Though her aching muscles protested, she slid out of bed to get ready for work. Her head pounded with each step she took to her closet. _I'm having a heluva day already, but it's just a bug… _Yeah, just a bug that's bothered her for 2 endless weeks now. Olivia Benson was a good liar, but even better at sucking up her pain. She didn't know her stubbornness would put her life in danger, though…

Olivia stepped slowly into the squad room, greeted by the hustle of her fellow detectives likely looking into another case. Munch stared at her through his rimmed glasses.

"Hello, Sleeping Beauty," he chuckled, taking in her appearance. "I take it the Prince woke you with a kiss too soon?"

"Shut up, Munch," she replied groggily. Fin glanced over at her, laughed, but soon buried himself back into his work as she threw him the famous Benson-Death Stare.

She walked- no, limped- to her desk, only noticed by her partner, who stared at her worriedly. "Are you okay?" he asked concernedly as she slowly lowered herself into her seat. The slight pain etched on her face was replaced by a false smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why'd you ask?" Her innocent question meant to throw him off only filled him with more curiosity.

"Well, you were…Nuth'n…" He gave up, tossing his hands in the air. _If she was in a lot of pain, she'd tell me. Heck no she wouldn't! She'd hide it if it killed her, just to prove how tough she was…_ he grumbled to himself.

Olivia started typing up her DD5s, trying to shake the fatigue and brain-racking headaches threatening to overwhelm her. Truth was, she felt horrible, but Olivia wasn't risking a day in bed bored out of her mind while she had work to do.

Elliot stared at his partner intently, taking in her disheveled appearance. Heavy bags hung under her bloodshot eyes, her lips pressed in a thin line, as if willing herself not to throw up. Her hair was un-brushed, her clothes rumpled. She was NOT alright.

"Are you sure you're not sick?" He questioned, his concern growing.

Her annoyed look set him off. "I told you, I'm FINE. It's just a tiny bug." She waved him off and continued typing, straining to see the words on her computer as her vision clouded over. She blinked it away quickly, shaking her head. _It's nothing I can't handle…_

As she worked, waves of nausea crashed over her, and she abruptly stood, making a bee-line for the restroom. This didn't go unnoticed by Elliot, however, and he walked in the opposite direction, toward Cragen's office.

He tapped lightly on the door, followed by an authoritative "Come in." Elliot stepped into the office, raising Captain's curiosity. "What's going on?" he demanded, rising from his desk, assuming it was a break in the DV case.

Elliot sighed. "Olivia seems really sick, but she's refusing to admit it, much less go home."

Cragen nodded. "Okay, tell her I'm ordering her on bed rest. Don't let her come back till she's feeling better."

Elliot shook his head. "Will do, Cap."

Olivia sat hunched over the toilet, emptying the pitiful contents of her stomach- nothing. She retched for a straight ten minutes until a knock on the door made her abruptly stand up, wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt. "Yeah?" she asked timidly.

Elliot stood on the other side. "Cap wants you resting. AT HOME," he said forcefully.

"El, I said I'm FINE! I have stuff to finish!" she shouted back.

"Well you can work later!" he replied exasperated. "Just- go home."

Olivia walked out, shrugging his arm off her shoulder as he attempted to guide her towards the exit. She plopped herself onto her chair, hissing at the pain it sent through her abdomen.

"Let me take you home," he said, crouching down to her level, his strong arm resting on her chair.

"No. I'm…fine," She replied through gritted teeth, holding back her pain. Her knuckles gripped the desk in front of her, turning white. She gazed over at his beautiful, ice-blue eyes, clouded over with sympathy and concern. She almost melted right in front of him, but another pang in her stomach shook her out of her trance. She sighed in defeat. "I'll just rest in the cribs for a while, and I'll be fine, like I am right now," she resigned, pushing herself up from her desk to walk towards the stairs.

Elliot spun her around to face him, making her dizzy. "No, you're going home," he said roughly. When his hand came into contact with her arms he pulled back. "Geez, Liv, you're burning up!" he exclaiming.

"Really?" Olivia asked, yanking her jacket from her chair. "Cuz I f-f-feel…k-kinda cold…" she whispered, shaking uncontrollably. "I-I'm just g-gonna go lie d-d-down…"

As she shuffled to the bottom step of the cribs, a flash of burning pain, like a knife ripping through her side overtook her, and she crumpled to the ground, her face breaking out in sweat. She felt like she was drowning out in the snow as a freezing feeling took over her body. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably, her head spinning dizzily. Her eyelids fluttered shut as the darkness consumed her. The last words she heard were "Call a bus!" And she felt nothing more.


End file.
